Basil & Dahlia: A Tragical Tale of Sinister Sweetness

By Joy McCullough

Book Overview

Two orphan siblings with truly terrible luck battle an evil celebrity chef in this "bitingly humorous and appealingly weird" (Publishers Weekly) illustrated middle grade romp in the vein of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

It's hard to imagine things could get worse after one's parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that is precisely what happens to Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes by jumping off a moving train, only to find themselves wounded (Dahlia) and bedraggled (Basil) and without a soul to care for them. What's more, they're lost in the wilds of New York City.

Famished and alone, they wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by Laurel Fox, disgraced celebrity chef with a soft spot for poor, hungry orphans. When she offers them luxurious accommodations and all the clairs they can eat, Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last. But the savvy reader will know it can't be as simple as all that Laurel Fox is out for redemption, and she'll do anything to get the sinister secret ingredient she requires.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1665944242
• ISBN13: 9781665944243
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7